'We might have to leave quickly': Finns living near border keep a watchful eye on Russia

"In the Finnish town of Imatra, on the country's eastern border with Russia, residents are
keeping a watchful eye on their neighbors to the east as tensions mount over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine." France24

US Treasury Secretary Led Walkout Of G20 Meeting As Russian Official Started Talking

"Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell walked out of
a Group of 20 meeting on Wednesday when the Russian representative began talking. A source told the Insider that multiple finance ministers and central bank governors walked out of the meeting with Yellen and Powell." ZH

5 Dead in Fire at Russian Aerospace Defense Research Institute

"At least five people have died and dozens more were injured in a fire at a Russian Defense
Ministry research institute near Moscow on Thursday. The 1,500-square-meter fire started on the second floor and ripped through the building’s upper three floors, forcing people inside to escape by jumping from windows." NYP

War in Ukraine threatens geopolitical balance in the Arctic

"Russia’s senior diplomat at the Arctic Council intergovernmental forum, Nikolai Korchunov,
spoke out on April 17 about NATO’s increased presence in the Arctic since the war in Ukraine began. He said long-planned military drills between NATO, Finland and Sweden in the region in March were “a cause for concern” for Russia.

All the members of the Arctic Council aside from Russia announced in March they would boycott talks in Russia, currently chairing the Atlantic Council until 2023, due to its “flagrant violation” of Ukraine’s sovereignty. As such, the group’s work has been put on hold.“It’s very unusual,” Garson says. The Arctic Council has survived periods of tension, but what we're seeing in the Ukraine is a huge turning point in history.

Russia has been increasing its military presence in the far north. The most obvious example of this is its Arctic navy, the Northern Fleet, established in 2014 and based on the Kola Peninsula near the border with Finland and Norway.Its arsenal includes submarines armed with nuclear-powered missiles, anti-submarine aircraft, aircraft carriers and ships armed with missiles, among others.

 The current war in Ukraine has raised the stakes once again. If Sweden and Finland join NATO ­– as both are seriously considering doing ­– all the Arctic states except Russia will be part of the military alliance." France24

Putin Says Mariupol ‘Liberated,’ Calls Off Azovstal Plant Assault

"Putin on Thursday hailed the “liberation” of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and called off a planned assault on Ukrainian forces' last holdout." MT

‘Threatening’ aircraft prompts brief US Capitol evacuation

"The US Capitol was evacuated for a short time after police said an unidentified aircraft could
pose a threat. A top lawmaker later clarified that the incident was the result of a lapse in communication between federal agencies. The US Capitol Police issued an alert to lawmakers and congressional staffers around 6:30pm local time on Wednesday evening, saying a plane was spotted over the area which posed a “probable threat” and ordering a full evacuation of all buildings at the complex." RT

Russia successfully test fires ‘unique’ missile

"Russia’s new RS-28 Sarmat Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile was launched successfully

from the Plesetsk cosmodrome in the north of the country, the military reported on Wednesday. The test launch was the first in a series of trials required for the adoption of the new weapon by Russia’s strategic forces.

The missile flew across the whole country, touching down at a test site in Russia’s Far East. “Inert warheads touched down in a designated area at the Kura training ground on the Kamchatka Peninsula,” the military said. Compared to its predecessor, the Sarmat can carry more weapons, as well as be fitted with new types of warheads, including “hypersonic glider units”, the military noted." RT

Besieged Ukrainian neo-Nazis outline conditions to leave Mariupol

"Late on Wednesday, Svyatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the neo-Nazi Azov
regiment, released a new video address, stating that the troops were ready to leave the plant with the support of an unspecified “third party.” The fighters want to keep their personal weapons, as well as to evacuate their wounded and fallen comrades. Palamar refused to surrender to Russian forces or troops of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), which are besieging the sprawling industrial facility." RT

Taiwan State Media Accidentally Announces Non-Existent China Military Invasion

"Taiwan’s government-funded Chinese Television System (CTS) accidentally broadcast a running news ticker falsely declaring Chinese forces had launched a military invasion of New Taipei City, the Taipei Times reported. “Naval vessel explodes, facilities, ships damaged at Port of Taipei,” read another false update. “Arson and explosives placed by suspected special forces at Banqiao [train] Station, no casualties,” CTS’s news ticker further claimed." Breitbart